The Best Ubuntu AlternativesTop Linux Distros & Operating Systems like Ubuntu

Ubuntu is described as 'Community developed, Linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need - a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more' and is a leading Linux Distro in the os & utilities category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Ubuntu for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, BSD, Self-Hosted and Fedora apps. The best Ubuntu alternative is Linux Mint, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Ubuntu are Debian, Manjaro Linux, Fedora and Arch Linux.

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Ubuntu is a community developed, Linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need - a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software,...

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Ubuntu alternatives page was last updated Sep 13, 2024
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Alternatives
  1. Linux Mint icon
     1110 likes
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    Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people. The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use. Latest: Wilma (22).

    178 Linux Mint alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • IE flagIreland
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  User friendly
    3.  Lightweight
    4.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Windows-like
    2.  Based on Ubuntu
    3.  Support for Nvidia drivers
    4.  Cinnamon Desktop
    5.  Debian package compatible
    6.  Linux-based
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Out Of The Box
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Community-based
    12.  Built-in File Manager

    Linux Mint VS Ubuntu

     
    Comments about Linux Mint as an Alternative to Ubuntu
    Comment summary: Linux Mint is praised for its ease of use and smooth installation process, particularly appealing to Windows users due to its Windows-like interface and Cinnamon desktop environment. Many users find it more polished and responsive than Ubuntu, citing fewer installation issues and a more stable experience. However, it is also noted that it is essentially a derivative of Ubuntu with no significant differences other than aesthetic aspects.
    Top Positive Comment
    CeesT
    May 30, 2022
    3

    More polished and Windows-like than plain Ubuntu. Cinnamon comes with Nemo which shows file creation dates as well as modification dates.

    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Jul 22, 2022
    1

    I love linux mint! Easy to use, easy to setup and i love the design!

    Robert Wang
    Positive Mar 19, 2022
    0

    It has no enough technical support. Do settings as in slackware?

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    3 of 14 comments
    Ubuntu Icon
    Linux Mint icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Linux Mint is a great Ubuntu alternative.

    • Linux Mint is the most popular Linux alternative to Ubuntu.

    • Linux Mint is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Ubuntu.

    • Linux Mint is Free and Open SourceUbuntu is also Free and Open Source
    • Linux Mint is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedUbuntu is not according to our users
  2. Debian icon
     1121 likes
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    The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have made common cause to create a free operating system. This operating system that we have created is called Debian.

    191 Debian alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • CH flagSwitzerland

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Low memory usage
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Package Control
    4.  Based on Debian
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  No registration required
    7.  Command line interface
    8.  Dark Mode
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Portable

    Debian VS Ubuntu

     
    Comments about Debian as an Alternative to Ubuntu
    Top Positive Comment
    Buster_Blue
    Jan 12, 2018
    7

    It's what Ubuntu is directly based on. It also isn't as hard to use as it used to be. I'd say that anyone who isn't completely new to Linux should be able to use it just fine. Though I'd recommend sticking with the stable branch of Debian if you are still relatively new, then moving to the other branches later on.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    Dec 10, 2017
    8

    It doesn't let you install proprietary drivers and doesn't have a GUI to manage these drivers like Ubuntu or Mint has, due to its philosophy. That's a thing people forget to mention when saying Debian is the option for Ubuntu or even Mint, so it isn't.

    Most Recent Comment
    veddev
    Positive Aug 31, 2024
    0

    Personally, i have never used plain Debian. It looks nice, though.

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    3 of 11 comments
    Ubuntu Icon
    Debian icon
    • Most users think Debian is a great Ubuntu alternative.

    • Debian is the most popular Windows & Self-Hosted alternative to Ubuntu.

    • Debian is Free and Open SourceUbuntu is also Free and Open Source
    • Debian is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedUbuntu is not according to our users
  3. Manjaro Linux icon
     327 likes
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    Manjaro is a user-friendly Linux distribution based on the independently developed Arch operating system. Within the Linux community, Arch itself is renowned for being an exceptionally fast, powerful, and lightweight distribution that provides access to the very latest cutting...

    177 Manjaro Linux alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Arch Linux

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  User friendly
    4.  Clean design
    5.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Rolling Release
    2.  Based on Arch Linux
    3.  Arch User Repository
    4.  Community-based
    5.  Linux-based
    6.  Simple installation
    7.  Out Of The Box
    8.  No Tracking
    9.  Support for Nvidia drivers
    10.  Live booting from usb
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Wiki documentation

    Manjaro Linux VS Ubuntu

     
    Comments about Manjaro Linux as an Alternative to Ubuntu
    Top Positive Comment
    John Fastman
    Dec 8, 2016
    18

    Manjaro Linux has got the point where it's more user friendly than Ubuntu, in my opinion. Particularly in the XFCE (official) and MATE (community) builds, the pamac/pacman package manager is utterly great to use and draws software not just from Manjaro repositories but from Arch's AUR, which has something like 60k+ software apps. Despite being based on Arch, Manjaro is very user-friendly and the community support is fantastic.

    Most Recent Comment
    mlemmark
    Positive Jan 6, 2021
    5

    A good distribution, but often breaks during an update, to use it, you need to be aware of new changes in their forum. It says it's for newbies, but it doesn't differs so much from Arch. Since it's a rolling-release/bleeding-edge distribution, it is not as stable as Linux Mint, Ubuntu and so on.

    Guest
    Positive May 28, 2020
    10
    1. Arch-based 2. Easy to install 3. Care about stability even being a rolling release kind of distro 4. It has GUIs for installing kernel, drivers and complex language packs 5. It has Pamac which is the most complete package manager/store in the Linux with supports and have access to the official repo, AUR, snap and flatpak. 6. it has different desktop environments for your taste 7. Good performance on games 8. It has minimal versions for tinkers.
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    3 of 8 comments
    Ubuntu Icon
    Manjaro Linux icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Manjaro Linux is a great Ubuntu alternative.

    • Manjaro Linux is Free and Open SourceUbuntu is also Free and Open Source
    • Manjaro Linux is Customizable and LightweightUbuntu is not according to our users
  4. Fedora icon
     566 likes
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    Fedora creates an innovative, free, and open source platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users.

    179 Fedora alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Out Of The Box
    2.  Linux-based
    3.  Wayland Support
    4.  Desktop Environment
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Support for BTRFS
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Unix-like
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Multiple languages
    11.  Separated workspaces
    12.  Rolling Release

    Fedora VS Ubuntu

     
    Comments about Fedora as an Alternative to Ubuntu
    Top Positive Comment
    9y0xwefhpw
    May 27, 2018
    7

    Albeit Fedora is supported by bigger company (Red Hat), it does not spy on users like Ubuntu. Fedora comprises only freedom software except for firmware (which can be resolved by freed-ora) unlike Ubuntu. Cleaner upgrade than Ubuntu.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    Oct 29, 2018
    11

    It doesn't have proprietary codecs and drivers pre-installed like Ubuntu. It's hard to install it, not for newbies.

    Most Recent Comment
    veddev
    Positive Aug 31, 2024
    0

    Fedora is REALLY nice! Looks modern and simple.

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    3 of 9 comments
    Ubuntu Icon
    Fedora icon
    • Most users think Fedora is a great Ubuntu alternative.

    • Fedora is Free and Open SourceUbuntu is also Free and Open Source
    • Fedora is Customizable and Privacy focusedUbuntu is not according to our users
  5. Arch Linux icon
     753 likes
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    Arch Linux is an independently developed, x86_64 optimized GNU/Linux distribution targeted at competent Linux users. It uses pacman, its home-grown package manager, to provide updates to the latest software applications with full dependency tracking.

    191 Arch Linux alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Minimalistic
    4.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Rolling Release
    2.  Arch User Repository
    3.  Wiki documentation
    4.  Community-based
    5.  Linux-based
    6.  Bleeding edge
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Command line interface
    10.  No registration required
    11.  Package Control
    12.  Works Offline

    Arch Linux VS Ubuntu

     
    Comments about Arch Linux as an Alternative to Ubuntu
    Most Recent Comment
    John Fastman
    Negative Jan 4, 2017
    21

    Arch is not a distro for Linux beginners: you really have to know what you're doing to set it up and keep it ticking over. Ubuntu is beginner friendly. However, check out Manjaro - that's Arch-based but done in a user friendly way that's maybe even friendlier than Ubuntu.

    Guest
    Negative Oct 29, 2018
    5
    1. It doesn't have a proper graphical install 2. Arch community doesn't like newbies and treat them like crap 3. Everything is command line based 4. There are not helpers for newbies, the distro uses the KISS philosophy, is minimalistic and not user-friendly like Ubuntu 5. It uses the rolling release and bleeding edge model, so it's kind easy to break thing due the huge quantity of updates weekly.
    veddev
    Positive Aug 31, 2024
    0

    Arch is not a beginner friendly Linux distro, but i use a distro thats based on arch called EndeavourOS. Its very nice, For someone that wants to use and learn Arch, go with EndeavourOS!

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    3 of 4 comments
    Ubuntu Icon
    Arch Linux icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Arch Linux is a great Ubuntu alternative.

    • Arch Linux is Free and Open SourceUbuntu is also Free and Open Source
    • Arch Linux is Customizable, Lightweight, Minimalistic and Privacy focusedUbuntu is not according to our users
  6. Kubuntu icon
     274 likes
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    Kubuntu is an official "flavor" of Ubuntu that uses the KDE Plasma desktop environment. This gives it a completely different look and feel.

    197 Kubuntu alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Customizable
    4.  User friendly

    Features

    1.  Based on Ubuntu
    2.  KDE
    3.  Based on Debian
    4.  No Tracking
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Rolling Release
    7.  Desktop Application

    Kubuntu VS Ubuntu

     
    Comments about Kubuntu as an Alternative to Ubuntu
    Top Positive Comment
    astronare
    Jul 1, 2023
    2

    KDE is faster and better than Gnome

    Most Recent Comment
    David Figueroa
    Positive Dec 2, 2020
    0

    KDE is faster than GNOME and more customizable too

    RemovedUser
    Positive Sep 7, 2020
    1

    Kubuntu is basically Ubuntu but with the KDE Plasma desktop, which gives a feel of Windows, highly recommended.

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    3 of 6 comments
    Ubuntu Icon
    Kubuntu icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Kubuntu is a great Ubuntu alternative.

    • Kubuntu is Free and Open SourceUbuntu is also Free and Open Source
    • Kubuntu is Privacy focused and LightweightUbuntu is not according to our users
  7. Xubuntu icon
     290 likes
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    Xubuntu is an elegant and easy-to-use operating system. Xubuntu comes with Xfce, which is a stable, light and configurable desktop environment. It is based on Ubuntu Debian Linux.

    179 Xubuntu alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Based on Ubuntu
    2.  XFCE support
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Based on Debian
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  No Tracking

    Xubuntu VS Ubuntu

     
    Comments about Xubuntu as an Alternative to Ubuntu
    Most Recent Comment
    John Fastman
    Positive Dec 31, 2016
    7

    Xubuntu is Ubuntu in almost every way. The difference is that instead of Ubuntu's Unity desktop, you get the XFCE desktop, which - in my opinion - is much better. But it's certainly faster on older/slower computers.

    Guest
    Positive Mar 8, 2018
    8

    Xubuntu is nothing more than Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop environment and fewer included packages. I think it's far superior because it's faster than easier to use than Ubuntu.

    mlemmark
    Negative Jan 6, 2021
    3

    Linux Mint Xfce makes a better alternative which a set of apps that makes sense, a great system updater, GUI to manage kernels, GUI to help fixing bugs, especially related to the repository. Mint also respect the user privacy, doesn't force snap, let the user have the choice. Mint Xfce has custom theme and user-friendly look-and-feel.

    Ubuntu Icon
    Xubuntu icon
    • Most users think Xubuntu is a great Ubuntu alternative.

    • Xubuntu is Free and Open SourceUbuntu is also Free and Open Source
    • Xubuntu is Lightweight and Privacy focusedUbuntu is not according to our users
7 of 158 Ubuntu alternatives